Effect of UV irradiation on cutaneous cicatrices: a randomized, controlled trial with clinical, skin reflectance, histological, immunohistochemical and biochemical evaluations.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation on human cutaneous cicatrices. In this randomized, controlled study, dermal punch biopsy wounds served as a wound healing model. Wounds healed by primary or second intention and were randomized to postoperative solar UV irradiation or to no UV exposure. Evaluations after 5 and 12 weeks included blinded clinical assessments, skin reflectance measurements, histology, immunohistochemistry, and biochemical analyses of the N-terminal propeptide from procollagen-1, hydroxyproline, hydroxylysine, and proline. Twelve weeks postoperatively, UV-irradiated cicatrices healing by second intention: (i) were significantly pointed out as the most disfiguring; (ii) obtained significantly higher scores of colour, infiltration and cicatrix area; and (iii) showed significantly higher increase in skin-reflectance measurements of skin-pigmentation vs. non-irradiated cicatrices. No histological, immunohistochemical or biochemical differences were found. In conclusion, postoperative UV exposure aggravates the clinical appearance of cicatrices in humans.

Skin rejuvenation using intense pulsed light: a randomized controlled split-face trial with blinded response evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate efficacy and adverse effects of intense pulsed light rejuvenation in a homogeneous group of patients. DESIGN: Randomized controlled split-face trial. SETTING: University dermatology department. PATIENTS: Thirty-two female volunteers with Fitzpatrick skin type I through III and class I or II rhytids. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects were randomized to 3 intense pulsed light treatments at 1-month intervals or to no treatment of right or left sides of the face. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary end points were skin texture and rhytids. Secondary end points were telangiectasia, irregular pigmentation, and adverse effects. Efficacy was evaluated by patient self-assessments and by blinded clinical and photographic evaluations up to 9 months after final treatment. Adverse effects were assessed clinically and by noninvasive skin reflectance measurements. RESULTS: Skin texture was significantly improved at all clinical assessments except at the 6-month examination (P<.006). The improvements peaked at 1 month after treatment, at which time 23 (82%) of 28 patients had better appearances of treated vs untreated sides. Most patients obtained mild or moderate improvements, and 16 patients (58%) self-reported mild or moderate efficacy on skin texture. Rhytids were not significantly different on treated vs untreated sides, and 19 patients (68%) reported uncertain or no efficacy on rhytids. Significant improvements of telangiectasia (P<.001) and irregular pigmentation (P<.03) were found at all assessments. Three patients withdrew from the study because of pain related to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Three intense pulsed light treatments improved skin texture, telangiectasia, and irregular pigmentation but had no efficacy on rhytids. Adverse events were minimal, but included scar in 1 patient.

[Smoking patterns among boys and girls in Danish elementary school classes]. / Rygemønstret blandt drenge og piger i de danske skoleklasser.

INTRODUCTION: The objective was to study the correlation between male and female smoking prevalence in elementary school classes at grade nine through group-level analysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data was collected by the 1998 Danish contribution to the cross-national study Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children. A standardised questionnaire was applied. This study included ninety school classes at grade nine (1515 students) from a random sample of schools in Denmark. The outcome measure was the proportion of male and female smokers in the school classes. RESULTS: The proportion of male and female smokers within the school classes did not correlate. For both boys and girls there was a high variation in the proportion of smokers between the school classes. DISCUSSION: The smoking-related social processes that exist in the school classes probably operate in a sex-differentiated manner. The effect of the classroom environment on the students' smoking behaviour must be considered differently for boys and girls.